Kiev involved in Syrian conflict - Moscow | 4 Dec 2024 | A significant "Ukrainian trace" has been detected among foreign fighters in northwestern Syria, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has claimed. The diplomat cited data available on cooperation between Kiev and the terrorist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), including on drones, following a claim Ukraine's intelligence services likely collaborated with the jihadists. The Kyiv Post has reported that Islamist groups involved in recent attacks in Aleppo province could have been prepared by the "Khimik" Special Forces unit of Ukraine's military intelligence service (HUR), which allegedly provided "operational training" to militants in Idlib province. "This is not the first region where the Kiev regime applies its criminal experience," Zakharova stated, as cited by newspaper Vedomosti, highlighting previous Ukrainian involvement in conflicts across Africa and now, reportedly, in Syria.